World Cup Licensing Brief

Timings of matches & premises licences

If you wish to extend your hours to stay open for the England games during the World Cup 2018, you will need to check your premises licence. There may be a ‘non-standard timings’ clause providing for a built-in extension where there is a sporting event of national or international interest. This will usually be found in the ‘permitted activities and timings’ section but is sometimes set out within the conditions of the premises licence, so it is worth checking both.

What to do if you are not covered under your premises licence?

You will need to lodge a temporary event notice.

It is important to remember that the Licensing Authority, police and environmental health require 10 working days’ notice for a standard temporary event notice, although late temporary event notices are possible in certain circumstances, requiring between five and nine days’ notice. If any objections are received, the late temporary event notice application will automatically be refused.

Do you want to show the World Cup matches on an outside screen e.g. in a beer garden or smoking shelter?

Showing a match outside does not require a licence as it is a live TV broadcast. If you wish to sell alcohol outside e.g. a bottle bar so that customers do not have to keep going back inside to the bar, you may need to lodge a temporary event notice if your outside area is not licensed for alcohol sales.

The group stages

The 2018 World Cup is being hosted by Russia and starts on 14 June. England are in Group G and the first round matches are:

Monday 18 June 2018

19.00 (GMT) kick-off

England vs Tunisia

Sunday 24 June 2018

13.00 (GMT) kick-off

England vs Panama

Thursday 28 June 2018

19.00 (GMT) kick-off

England vs Belgium

England’s round of 16 game against Columbia

England face Columbia on 03 July at 19:00 (GMT) for the round of 16 game, so you would have to apply for a late temporary event notice if you need to extend your hours if you have not applied before Monday 18 June. If you do not apply by Friday 22 June you will be too late.

Temporary event notice for the quarter-final England game against Sweden

If England make it through to the quarter-final stage, they face Sweden on Saturday 07 July at 15:00 (GMT), so you would have to apply for a late temporary event notice if you need to extend your hours and you have not applied before Wednesday 27 June. If you do not apply by Sunday 01 July, you will be too late.

England succeed in the quarter-final: get ready for the semi-final

If England make it through to the semi-final stage, they face either Russia or Croatia on Wednesday 11 July at 19:00 (GMT), so you would have to apply for a late temporary event notice if you need to extend your hours and you have not applied before Sunday 01 July. If you do not apply by Friday 06 July, you will be too late.

If England are in the final of the World Cup 2018, make sure you are licensed

If England makes it through to the final stage, they will compete against the other semi-finalist winner on Sunday 15 July at 16:00 (GMT), so you would have to apply for a late temporary event notice if you need to extend your hours and you have not applied before Thursday 05 July. If you do not apply by Tuesday 10 July, you will be too late.

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